# US 10,321,318 B2 · Automated device provisioning and activation

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,321,318 B2
- Document ID: US10321318B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/427,837
- Filed: 2017-02-08
- Published: 2017-07-27
- Granted: 2019-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2009-01-28
- Assignees: Headwater Research LLC
- Applicants: Headwater Research LLC
- Inventors: Gregory G. Raleigh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10321318B2

## CPC

- H04W 12/08: Access security
- G06F 15/177: Initialisation or configuration control {(processor initialisation G06F9/4405)}
- G06Q 10/06315: {Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis}
- G06Q 10/06375: {Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change}
- G06Q 20/102: {Bill distribution or payments}
- G06Q 20/20: Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
- G06Q 20/32: using wireless devices
- G06Q 20/40: Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
- G06Q 30/0207: Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
- G06Q 30/0241: Advertisements
- G06Q 30/0283: Price estimation or determination
- G06Q 30/0284: {Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters}
- G06Q 30/04: Billing or invoicing
- G06Q 30/0601: Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
- G06Q 40/00: Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
- G06Q 40/12: Accounting
- H04L 9/32: including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system {or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials}
- H04L 9/3247: {involving digital signatures}
- H04L 12/14: Charging, metering or billing arrangements specially adapted for data communications, e.g. authentication, authorisation and accounting [AAA] framework
- H04L 12/1407: {Policy-and-charging control [PCC] architecture}
- H04L 41/0806: for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
- H04L 41/0894: Policy-based network configuration management
- H04L 41/5003: Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
- H04L 41/5054: Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
- H04L 47/20: Traffic policing
- H04L 47/2408: for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
- H04L 51/046: Interoperability with other network applications or services
- H04L 63/0236: {Filtering by address, protocol, port number or service, e.g. IP-address or URL}
- H04L 63/04: {for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks}
- H04L 63/0428: {wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload}
- H04L 63/08: {for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32)}
- H04L 63/0853: {using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234)}
- H04L 63/0892: {by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols}
- H04L 63/10: {for controlling access to devices or network resources}
- H04L 63/20: {for managing network security; network security policies in general (filtering policies H04L63/0227)}
- H04L 67/145: avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
- H04L 67/306: User profiles
- H04L 67/51: Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
- H04L 67/55: Push-based network services
- H04L 67/63: Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
- H04M 15/00: Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication {; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP}
- H04M 15/49: {Connection to several service providers}
- H04M 15/58: {based on statistics of usage or network monitoring}
- H04M 15/61: {based on the service used}
- H04M 15/66: {Policy and charging system}
- H04M 15/80: {Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects}
- H04M 15/8055: {Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service}
- H04M 15/88: {Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure}
- H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information
- H04W 4/12: Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
- H04W 4/18: Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
- H04W 4/20: Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
- H04W 4/24: Accounting or billing
- H04W 4/50: Service provisioning or reconfiguring
- H04W 8/18: Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
- H04W 8/20: Transfer of user or subscriber data
- H04W 12/00: Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
- H04W 12/02: Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
- H04W 12/037: of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
- H04W 12/06: Authentication
- H04W 12/37: Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
- H04W 24/08: Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic
- H04W 28/02: Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
- H04W 28/0215: {based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices (services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51)}
- H04W 28/0268: {using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] (negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24)}
- H04W 28/12: using signalling between network elements
- H04W 48/14: using user query {or user detection}
- H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
- H04W 72/0453: Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
- H04W 88/08: Access point devices
- H04L 41/0876: {Aspects of the degree of configuration automation}
- H04L 41/5025: by proactively reacting to service quality change, e.g. by reconfiguration after service quality degradation or upgrade
- H04L 67/34: {involving the movement of software or configuration parameters (network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416)}
- H04L 67/564: Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
- H04M 2215/0188: Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
- H04W 8/02: Processing of mobility data, e.g. registration information at HLR [Home Location Register] or VLR [Visitor Location Register]; Transfer of mobility data, e.g. between HLR, VLR or external networks
- H04W 84/04: Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
- H04W 84/042: {Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems}
- H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
- H04W 88/06: adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals
- Y02P 90/80: Management or planning
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

Various embodiments are disclosed for a services policy communication system and method. In some embodiments, a communications device stores a set of device credentials for activating the communications device for a service on a network; and sends an access request to the network, the access request including the set of device credentials.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A network provider system comprising:
a plurality of intermediate networking devices (INDs), each comprising a service processor and an account credential repository to store credentials for wireless endpoint devices, each of the INDs operating as a wireless access point for authorized wireless endpoint devices and providing the authorized wireless endpoint devices with Internet access through the network provider system;
a database credential repository; and
at least one network service controller in communication with the service processors to authorize the respective INDs to join the network provider system;
each of the IND service processors configured to conduct an authentication sequence based on one or more credentials supplied by a wireless endpoint device to determine whether a wireless endpoint device requesting access to that IND is associated with a network provider system service account and is therefore an authorized wireless endpoint device, the authentication sequence comprising comparing the one or more credentials to credentials stored in the account credential repository of that IND, for at least some wireless endpoint devices, and initiating a query to the database credential repository, for at least some wireless endpoint devices;
each of the IND service processors configured to select and apply one of a plurality of service profiles to authorized wireless endpoint devices in dependence on a network provider system service account association for each connected endpoint device, with a first one of the service profiles providing a higher level of Internet access service through that IND than a second one of the service profiles.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The network provider system of claim 1, further comprising connectivity to a wireless wide-area network, wherein the network provider system is further configured to authorize at least some of the authorized wireless endpoint devices to connect through the wireless wide-area network to the network provider system.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The network provider system of claim 1, wherein each of the IND service processors configured to conduct an authentication sequence further comprises, for a wireless endpoint device that is not recognized by the authentication sequence, the IND service processor configured to redirect such wireless endpoint device to a network portal to allow a user of that wireless endpoint device to input account information, to allow that wireless endpoint device to become an authorized wireless endpoint device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The network provider system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the authorized wireless endpoint devices are associated with a same network provider system service account, at least one of the IND service processors accounting for usage of the plurality of the authorized wireless endpoint devices together as an aggregate usage.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The network provider system of claim 1, wherein each of the IND service processors individually monitors service usage for different ones of the authorized wireless endpoint devices.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The network provider system of claim 1, each of the IND service processors measuring service usage according to authorized wireless endpoint device for authorized wireless endpoint devices that are provided Internet access through that IND, and providing such measured service usage to a collection point in the network provider system.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The network provider system of claim 6, the network provider system using the measured service usage to verify proper operation of the INDs.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The network provider system of claim 1, wherein at least a first one of the INDs connects to the network provider system through a wireless wide-area network connection.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The network provider system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the authorized wireless endpoint devices connects to the first one of the INDs through a Wi-Fi connection.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The network provider system of claim 1, wherein at least a first one of the INDs connects to the network provider system through a wired wide-area network connection.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The network provider system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the authorized wireless endpoint devices connects to the first one of the INDs through a Wi-Fi connection.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The network provider system of claim 2, wherein, with respect to connections through the wireless wide-area network, the network provider system is operated as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator system.